WELCOME TO FRIENDS OF KINANGOP PLATEAU

SAVING THE KINANGOP GRASSLANDS THROUGH WOOL SPINNING AND WEAVING

Kinangop Highlands are important agricultural area. The high altitude grasslands of Kinangop Plateau are recognized as an Important Bird Area due to presence of specialized birds and therefore of great conservation priority. The livelihood of the local community revolves around livestock rearing and small-scale cultivation for both subsistence and cash crops. For a long time since settlement around 1964, the Kinangop Plateau was used primarily for dairy and sheep farming.However, livestock farming (which retains grassland as pasture) has given way to other forms of land-use, especially cultivation of crops leading a huge decline of the natural grass cover.

The grasslands are home to globally endangered fauna and biodiversity especially the globally endangered Sharpe’s Longclaw (Macronyx sharpei), Aberdare Cisticola among other beautiful birds. Several scientific research conducted in Kinangop and other grassland areas have indicated thatspecies such as Sharpe’s Longclaw will only survive if we can develop ways of managing their habitats in a manner that is consistent, rather than in conflict, with the needs of the agricultural community. The greatest potential appears to lie in measures to enhance the viability of the animal husbandry, with the aim of making livestock farming once again a more attractive proposition than crop farming.

The new start-of-art wool spinning and weaving workshop has just been constructed with full support from D.J. Fox & family, long-time friends to Bakari. With a capacity to create employment to more than 40 young men & women.

The grasslands are home to globally endangered fauna and biodiversity especially the globally endangered Sharpe’s Longclaw (Macronyx sharpei), Aberdare Cisticola among other beautiful birds.

In a natural setting, the bird’s nest lies quietly in the grassland of Kinangop. FoKP seek to conserve the grassland and the habitat and this is just a bird breed among the many that the grassland hosts.

Our History

One of the successful tool to help preserve the grasslands is the Njabini Wool Spinning and Weaving Workshop. An initiative of Friends of Kinangop Plateau (FoKP), a community based organization that was founded in 1997 with the major goal of conserving the Kinangop Highland Grasslands. The wool spinning workshop started in 2004 in a small rental shop in Njabini Township.

Successful outreach to farmers earned the workshop a bigger working space in the Njabini Agricultural Training Centre back in 2007. Under strong leadership of Ng’ang’a Bakari, the workshop have managed to form a cooperative society, fundraise for a new plot and construct a new wool workshop. The new start-of-art wool spinning and weaving workshop has just been constructed with full support from the D. J. Fox and family, long-time friends to Bakari. A special wool products and hand-craft shop, wool collection point and a dye-plant garden will be opened soon.

Friends of Kinangop Plateau (FoKP), a community based organization that was founded in 1997 with the major goal of conserving the Kinangop Highland Grasslands. The wool spinning workshop started in 2004 in a small rental shop in Njabini Township.

Under strong leadership of Ng’ang’a Bakari, the workshop has managed to form a cooperative society, fundraise for a new plot and construct a new wool workshop. The new start-of-art wool spinning and weaving workshop has just been constructed with full support from the D. J. Fox and family, long-time friends to Bakari. A special wool products and hand-craft shop, wool collection point and a dye-plant garden will be opened soon.